Violent music (and all violent media) effectively says its “ok” to be violent. It provides positive reinforcement for negative actions. If you rap and make violent music then own up to it. Stop hiding behind “art imitating life” as a way to evade the guilt. The issue stands that violent music puts violence into this world one way or another. It creates the atmosphere that violence is an acceptable means to an end. Agree or disagree doesnt really matter at this point honestly. But to not even acknowledge the possibility that violent music has even the most minute effect on violence in the world is frankly bulls***.

I’ve made violent music. Done violent things. Most my friends are violent. Lived in violent neighbors. Seen violence first hand. A certain point you start to get tired of it. You ask why? why is it like this? what is causing this? why is this ok to live like this? Then you turn on the news and see that a 12 month old got shot in the face by two teenagers in Georgia for no reason at all. Then you hear a song on the radio talking about “shooting everyone in sight”…bad times man…f***…

You may not give two s**ts about the next man and his troubles and thats cool with me…live you life…but I do and most people I know do. But dont sit there and act like high ass inner city murder rates are just falling from the sky for absolutely no reason… everything plays a part…EVERYTHING. Take responsibility for the part you play. motherf***ers can at least start there. yeah I got issues. My hood aint been safe in 25 years! At the point now u can die for nothing. just random death and disregard. tired of it. I know you don’t hear me. I guess its the LAST desperate act of a desperate man in desperate times. On one…peace…
– Lupe Fiasco

You may recall 50 Cent said his violent music is, “art imitating life,” to CBS News earlier this week. Clearly Lupe does not agree with that argument.

That isn’t even remotely the point. What he’s saying (and it’s true) is that our society is now completely numb to violence and murder. Yes, media including video games, music and movies are a reflection of what is actually occurring but to replicate it in art is to simply concede that we do, in fact, have a problem. When I turn on the news and I see dead babies, I think “Damn, that’s fucked up.” Two minutes later I’m on to the next thing because I’ve been seeing war and gang violence and listening to gang music and and watching action movies my entire life. We’ve lost our innocence as a society. That’s his point and that is some sad shit.

By: acb87

03.24.2013 @ 4:14 PM

the media is just showing American who your are. American as a whole are a very violent people. that violence has helped made your country top 5 countries of all time. the only problem is some Americans dont want to own up to it.

it goes back all the way to Darwinism. we live in the an evil society where u do whatever it takes to live the life one desires. Some ppl are evil enough to lie, steal, cheat n kill to reach their goals. capitalism is all about the dollar. so many issues involved in why there is so much violence in this society

By: wda

03.24.2013 @ 4:15 PM

Oh I’m a murder now bc i listen to 50 cent Eminem and Dr.Dre…

By: Dude

03.24.2013 @ 4:27 PM

Even if music does contribute to violence, its not even close to one of the main contributors. If people who are really upset about violence in society would focus more on education, socio-economic statuses, and better parenting we wouldn’t have most of these problems.

And by the way, rap is art imitating life. Don’t believe me? Well, please tell me which came first? Gangsta rap or guns and drugs?

By: dagift

03.24.2013 @ 4:27 PM

HE TELLING THE TRUTH LET EVERY MOVIE ,ALBUM, VIDEO GAME OR ANY OF THAT NATURES GO A WHOLE YEAR WITH NO VIOLENCE, SEX, DRUGS, NO EXPLICT LYRICS, NO WOMEN DEGRATING THEMSELVES , AND SEE HOW FAST KILLING , TEENAGE PREGNETCY DRUG DEALING , CHILDSUPPORT, DIVORCE, ROBBERY ,AND SO ON WILL DROP. MORE PEOPLE WILL BE SERVING GOD AND IN CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!

That wouldn’t change anything. U don’t fully understand all the issues behind senseless killing, money, education, prisons and racism. Getting rid of all bad entertainment doesn’t free the world of confused adolescents without moral guidance to understand how to make it the world. Most don’t want to find religion because capitalism promotes EVIL, it takes an enlightened mind for that to change. That’s difficult because ppl LOVE what they can see

By: TROUBLESOME

03.24.2013 @ 5:05 PM

Lupe is right for calling dude out,mind you this is the same dude who constantly brags about how ” agressive ” his music is then turns around and says that same music does not promote violence.

By: ImMe

03.24.2013 @ 5:06 PM

@dagift

That was stupid of you to say. The seed is planted. A year without violent content in any medium will not reduce the growth from the planted seed.

Lupe is right. The world is more focused on alleviating themselves of responsibility, and less about being solution-oriented. Everything that Lupe has been on (from start to finish since he got major and even before), I’ve been riding with him and will continue to ride with him. One of the few voices of reason.

Chicago is bad, man. St. Louis (my city) is bad too. People don’t care, man. People on the outside will react like my man Joaquin Phoenix’s character said on Hotel Rwanda: “I think if people see this footage, they’ll say Oh, my God, that’s horrible. And then they’ll go on eating their dinners.” That’s how middle and upper class American’s respond to what’s going on. While the glorifiers will continue to glorify it (50 Cent) because it’s what made them their money and no one is stupid enough to bite their own hand off.

Lupe is the minority in the world right now, man…. People trying to wake up other people. I talk about in small portions, but it’s hard reaching people, because no one wants to listen.

No one will discuss the sheer and utter brutality of the police in this country because people have an air of prestige about the police; because they wear badges, they are automatically right. This is really bad, when someone says “my freedom is less important than my security.”

I’mma stop for now. Respect, as always, Lupe.

By: MartyFunkhouser

03.24.2013 @ 5:17 PM

Caps lock does not make your point any more valid. Get off your milkcrate @dagift. All the things you said have been around for a damn long time, way before any entertainers started using it to make money.
Even Shakespeare used parts of real life to make his plays. They didnt make people any more “evil” than before (they were usually about betrayal, greed, violence, misogyny). Come on, son. Lupe is a good artist & the way he projects art from life is just different from others. The thing is, America is already more obsessed with violence so we tend to be more interested with what we as a society are more familiar with. Being a fan of songs by Johnny Cash or N.W.A. doesnt make me or anyone else a fan of violence. You either or arent from the jump.

By: PJ32

03.24.2013 @ 5:22 PM

I think blaming music, video games or any other form of entertainment on what people do in real life is complete bullshit. A person’s ENVIRONMENT and everyday life influences what they do, not what’s on their ipod or the movies they see.

How is it that there is more crime (gun violence especially) in the “inner city” than in the ‘burbs, when its a proven fact that more middle class white people buy rap music??

By: tell it like it is

03.24.2013 @ 5:23 PM

i have to agree with Lupe on this one. own up to what you put out is the bottom line in all of this. i dont point the finger at 50 or rap music in general either for the violence that takes place cause their are many other dynamics that go into the madness of this world

By: Taylor420

03.24.2013 @ 5:42 PM

None of you’s are even getting what Lupe is trying to say. He’s not saying if your a murderer, liar, or thief it has to be because of the negative influences from rap, movies and shit like that, he’s saying it gives society, the YOUTH especially, a way to justify these actions. If you had some dude selling work or drugs to someone in your family you view them as a criminal. But a rapper can talk about flipping bricks and selling em to your whole family and the youth just see’s these dudes with cars, women, fresh gear and all that and figure ‘why can’t I make it big from doing the same shit’. Rappers need to accept that irregardless of if they want to be or not, they are role models to society’s youth. It’s not just rap though, everyone of pro sports has role models, some positive some negative, or in schools you hear about teachers fucking students or straight up evil like that sandusky dude. So you can point fingers all day or let these “grown” adults, grow the fuck up and realize their influencing the youths future. Shout out to role models who care about the youth though like Kendrick and the TDE squad, Cole,Lupe and Wiz. Much Respect for Being Real.

dis fake azz activist kno damn well he aint never do nuthin violent…FOH

By: Poeparks

03.24.2013 @ 7:08 PM

I think what lupe fiasco is saying is cause and effect.
Plain and simple in life there is cause and effect.
If u raise a pittbull too be loving and kind that pitbull wont bite.
But if u raise a pitbull too be vicious then he will grown up too be a murderer.
Music Movies Drugs all these things play a imporatant part too cause and effect.
Because if ur some1 s rolemodel that person will believe anything u say.
Listen i seen rappers rap about keeping AK 47s in trucks of cars.
And my friends would ride around with AK 47s in trucks because they felt that rapper
was real.
Rappers these days dont have clue at the weight their image holds if so they wouldnt
tell u to shoot.
Remember in court these rappers verses aint liable.
So in reality its cause and effect i wish alot of rappers and people were aware of how strong cause and effect is.

By: A.T

03.24.2013 @ 7:44 PM

you cant blame a artist for the way his public interprets his music , get rich or die tryin is my favourite album and that doesnt mean I’ll shoot or even kill someone because the album talks about gun violence and drugs

By: that nigga

03.24.2013 @ 7:55 PM

Lupe actually one of the few niggas in d rap game with a consious mind, nd i agree with everything he said, its right, everything plays a part in doing wrong to somebody, music is a powerfull tool of influence specially to the young ones, and people like 50 might not understand that,. Shout out to Lupe for this

By: 12345

03.24.2013 @ 8:03 PM

High ass inner city murder rates is a reflection of crime and retalitiation of crime. Mexico, Brazil, China, and other places in the world with high crime rates is a reflection of their enviornment not rap music or entertainment.This country has been at war since the Bush administration which has nothing to do with video games,music or movies. Why don’t Lupe who is from Chicago try talking to kids from his old neighborhood and start and after school program for some of these youth instead of complaining about shit he can’t control. Lupe seems like he wants to be a scholar and talk about the problem of the world but doesn’t want to act on anything and yes complaining isn’t action.

Honestly I’m a fan of Lupe and all but this guy needs to shut up .. He has started to sound like the angry kid in the corner that no one shows attention then does something wild for props .. 50 grew up with out a mother and father and made his way thought adversity Lupe grew up in a home where his decisions were influenced by adults around him .. His day was a black panther I think they probably would have slapped the taste out of his mouth if he rapped gangster .. Till today u can see that affects 50 and the things he does …

I listened to 50 every day while I was at uni that didn’t make me want to shoot up the school .. And I still came out and made something of my self it’s music, growing up Rambo was on tv like every other day that still didn’t make me one to buy a bazooka … There is a reason why they put a explicit music sticker on this music it’s up to the individual to make their decisions the problem comes down to the weapons I live in the Uk there are shootings over here but at the end of the day I know I can’t pop to the corner store to buy a gun like its candy … The thing I always wonder is if you buy a gun what exactly do you do with it and know humans and their stupid ego they will probably look at the mirror and recreate a scene from scare face or something ? Then they have an altercation and then the first thing the person who has a gun does is ?

When it comes to the proverbial question about “art imitates life” or if “life imitates art”. Both are true. Any form of art that doesn’t reflect the actual events of real life is not true art indeed. Now I’ll say that although Fiddy’s music may portray what’s “real”, it is definitely not his existence anymore. So is he being real?

On the other side, life does imitate art. Not all youth live in these types of neighborhoods They don’t all grow up like that. But they get turned on to it from the music. And with every new generation, there’s a “rebirth” that could chose to go a different. But they are influenced my this music/media, which perpetuates the negativity.

Capitalism is driving everything. The negative ones hide behind the “freedom of speech” amendment and say and do whatever they want, for the almighty dollar. Regardless of the consequences, GOTTA GET PAID! Those dudes are the real sellouts….

This is the European way of thinking. And it going to kill us all. Looks at what’s going on in Europe right now. Dem muhfuckas is crumbling now….

What gangsta lives to be an old man playing with his great grandchildren?? Ya’ll been fooled. They playing ya’ll. Black folks keep following they’re footsteps and you gonna get exactly what they getting. But they gonna kill yo ass or throw you in jail….While they get paid….And for what? This paper money?? It ain’t worth shit…Wait til this inflation kick in…

By: kutty0509

03.24.2013 @ 8:55 PM

that 13 year old baby that got shot was in my city and lupe is right own up that shit cause these little ass kids that don’t know any better be believing you all…..

Its true. But a very huge problem to solve. People do what they know you know.

By: fuckslut

03.24.2013 @ 8:59 PM

I don’t think that music is the main contributor in this situation because many other factors may possibly have a greater role in this. Rap music has been pretty shitty these days, and it’s more about “clubbing here and clubbing there” and “fuck this piece of grass and shove my dick in this brickwall” so violence is one of the less talked about topics in a while.

By: Really Real

03.24.2013 @ 9:09 PM

Man some of the comments on her are crazy either the people on here are white and just dont get it OR niggas [ not blacks] are as ignorant as people say you are. Why are we blaming evrything and everyone but the root. If violence in culture effects everyone equally, then why it effects black youth unproportionately? PLEASE READ & COMPREHEND what dude is saying.

Didn’t Lupe call somebody out for beef a while back? I mean…. hand to hand combat isn’t the same as gun shootings but violence is violence. Am i right?

By: Dunnave87

03.24.2013 @ 10:47 PM

S

By: Dunnave87

03.24.2013 @ 10:50 PM

How you try and call out Fifty but don’t call out the true ignorant rappers Iike Webbie, Plies, and these otha dummies. People make their own decisions. If the “people” cared bout nonviolence the conscious rappers would be selling but that’s not the case.

@IimME you must missunderstood what i said,i said everything that lupe said was100% right i just used 1 year without those negative thing will be a start i used that as an example .just think about when these youngsters get high and drinking their not listening to kirk franklin while they smokin weed .SO LUPE IS 100% RIGHT it wont stop but i bet the more positive things anybody hear or see will change something about them.

So now we’re arguing what came first the chicken or the egg?
Lupe is a paradox a smart dumb ass nigga. What has he done for the hood? For Black People? What type of rough upbringing did he come from? Where are his positive songs?
Doesn’t Lupe have some of the same music about drugs and violence?
After all that between 50 and Lupe who actually is doing more for black people?
Lupe just running his mouth to get attention. When I see him doing something proactive then I will believe him.

Many you guys be missing the point on the original posts. Ya’ll latch onto someone’s comment and run with it. READ what the original post is saying before you comment. Lupe never said that rap music was the single most negative influence in the world. But he did say:

“…..not even acknowledge the possibility that violent music has even the most minute effect on violence in the world is frankly bulls***…..”

and

“… everything plays a part…EVERYTHING. Take responsibility for the part you play. motherf***ers can at least start there….”

And for all you dudes (and ladies) who think Lupe’s music is the same as the rest, OBVIOUSLY, have never listened to and dissected his albums. The Cool (in conjunction with Food and Liquor), artistically, was so astronomically above any album/concept I’ve ever seen or heard. Go back and look into the story behind the music and imagery that accompanied it. Lupe speaks through his art.

Read into what The Game, The Streets and the Cool represent. The youth get enticed by the Streets, wind up chasing the Game, trying to be Cool.

“Lord, please have sympathy, and forgive MY ‘COOL’ YOUNG HISTORY (Michael Young History)”

He’s trying to teach ya’ll. Problem is he’s over many folks’ heads, but refuses to dumb it down. Those of you who learn have a responsibility to teach others.

By: freshprince

03.25.2013 @ 10:37 AM

He is 100% right.. Do you think when people are getting ready to do a drive-by or go rob somebody that they are listening to Beethoven or Coltrane? Nah I doubt it. Not that the music makes ppl do that stuff, but it mos def enhances it the mood. I enjoy all kinds of music and it puts me in different moods. When I wanna chill, I play Coltrane or Miles Davis. When I’m about to go hoop, I listen to hardcore rap cuz It makes me feel more aggressive. It just is what it is.. And we or anybody else, including 50 cent, should deny that.. Seriously

By: IsThatRight?

03.25.2013 @ 11:25 AM

I’m tired of the whole “Rap, movies, and videogames cause violence” NO! violence causes violence. Our leaders love violence and war, which numbs us to violence and war. This country has always been involved in war and crime and that reflects on it’s inhabitants (US) so of course there’s gonna be violence and mainstream media blames it on rap music, but don’t blame the zionist movie industry nor the news networks that give you 1st person views of soldiers killing innocent men, women and children.

By: Trev

03.25.2013 @ 11:46 AM

As one of 50’s biggest supporters on the Web I agree with Lupe’s Philosophy on the idea of promoting something that indirectly is used to justify the inner city violence.

I also agree with 50s concept that he’s writing from experience although it glorifies the activity. He isn’t writing from a place of non- authenticity like the majority of rappers.

At the end of the day it wont stop 50 from STEPPING on Lupes Neck though

lol

By: Taylor420

03.25.2013 @ 2:51 PM

@JimyLDN your simple as fuck straight out. How you gonna try and disrespect Lupe cause his parents were their and helped make decisions, as if you grew up in the hood, clearly you ain’t never been to a hood before cause in some places, a lot of places, it is too easy for youths to purchase guns, how you think teenagers in gangs get there shit? And he ain’t talking about just you, nor did this dude say that he was talking about everyone everywhere, music might not have this affect on you, I too listened to rap throughout my years growing up and I’m on the right path, but there are kids, teenagers, whoever that are influenced. If your a boy and your without a dad, you need a role model right? I mean we expect football and basketball players to lead their life a certain because kids are watching, that’s where some of these rappers are placed, therefore their actions and what they rap about are the cause that could effect our youth, so why not spit a positive image, like Cole and Kendrick and discuss the vulnerability and pain of struggling and being surrounded by these negative influences but still being able to make it if you finish school, pursue college, earn your money, feed your family and better yourself. Their making millions of us idolizing them, they could at least give our youth someone positive to idolize. Dig me.

By: JerzeeSon

03.25.2013 @ 3:22 PM

I totally agree with Lupe’s ballsy approach…He’s on point…however 50 will turn this into something else…he will take this as direspect and get caught up in his feelings… I just hate when people build their career off of exploiting certain content but when the tide changes…its like ohhh..uhhh… that aint me that’s just entertainment…it wasn’t entertainment when niggas put hands on gunplay….

@Taylor420
I’ve not been to the hood … SMH I grew up I’m what u guys call hood in two different continents .. I honestly don see how you can look to an athlete as a role model most of these guys do what the rappers do .. Get a huge endorsement deal and ball like Wayne … Or 50 … It’s not about being simple I’ve seen that so called gangster life and I’ve seen the consequences .. I don’t need to prove I’m some kind of G online or say I’ve gone to jail to prove I’m a G .. So what if 50 does a Mase I’m sure people will say he,s a sell out … If you hear power of the dollar he’s always been about that life … Your surroundings and peer pressure influences a kids decisions .. I can look at cheef keef and say he is a role model .. Jay cole still talks about the hood but from his point of view u can’t be shot 9 times and turn to Nas … Lets be real they are products of their environment same happens over here we get athletes getting 200 thousand pounds a week and they still act like illiterates … When we talk of role models I want to hear doctors lawyers builders not athletes and rappers they are entertainers the slave mentality is still in most of these guys they get cheques for millions and their master approves what ever bull shit they say on the track .. Do u think some one like 50 will ever get released if he starts rapping like Nas let’s be real this rap game has always been like this from the beginning within it there are other genres ( gangster rap ) ( conscious rap ) rnb ( rap ) it’s always been this way .. And I don’t see it’s changing I say pick your poison its up to the individual

By: 614grind

03.25.2013 @ 3:42 PM

I agree with Lupe’s sentiment but he’s wrong about art imitating life being some kind of cop out. At its core, that’s what Hip Hop is.

By: JohnDough

03.25.2013 @ 3:44 PM

@JerzeeSon, the thing with Gunplay was a personal thing (50 and Ross) that then got projected through music. The personal beef never left, and he never said his actions outside of music are “entertainment.” He just said a junkie tried to scrap with him and got manhandled.
50 said his music is a result of where he grew up. Just because hes out of that environment doesnt mean he will automatically handle certain situations way differently.

By: 510Boy

03.25.2013 @ 3:54 PM

When an entertainer becomes popular, he has to change his art just to be a good “influence” on society? These guys aint running for president. They dont sign up for that shit, they sign for money. The problem lies with whoever is raising and teaching these “kids” what their moral standards should be.
This whole ordeal reminds me of a Boondocks episode.

By: TheKidddd

03.25.2013 @ 6:42 PM

Lupe I like what he is doing, but he is completely wrong, like some people just shoot and kill because of a million things, but music doesn’t influence that, everything a person does always goes back to that person. It’s just like when they blamed wrestling because a dumb 14 year old killed a little girl, and they assumed it was wrestling tactics, this was when wrestling was in peak. Lupe can’t single out 50 because even if there isn’t violent music or things there is still that crazy pshyco who wants to shoot and kill, also it’s on that person for whatever they do. He should go at the fake rappers though, because the wannabe rappers that glorify violence kids follow them, because the wannabes push everything so hard to make them seem so called gangster.

By: TheKidddd

03.25.2013 @ 6:45 PM

Also the parents need to teach there kids better, and some of those kids are like 50, so when you without parents, it’s way harder, and you do whatever you want, and unfortunately some kids kill, or steal, and other things, but you can’t blame that on a rapper, thats just life

By: Why

03.25.2013 @ 7:00 PM

HERE WE GO with you mother fuckers thinking the past was all good again. White people were hanging motherfuckers left and right in the past. Rapes, murders the whole nine and you think NOW is bad?

By: this dude

03.25.2013 @ 7:10 PM

smh @ da house negros and white boyz cosignin this clown…

By: Taylor420

03.25.2013 @ 7:19 PM

@JimyLDN, what are you saying bro? None of that makes any sense. 50 OWNS HIS OWN label, shit 50 is the label, he can sit back and never make another song in his life and still be making money off everyone else he got signed, not to mention all the endorsement deals he has. That’s the point your over looking bro, they have everything you could possibly want monetarily, so what else is left to obtain? Most rappers have to spit “gangster life” shit cause they ain’t talented enough to be appreaciated when talking about real shit like Lupe. Why you think the list of rappers like juicy j, waka flaka, gucci mane and even Wayne now is so much longer than rappers like Cole and Kendrick, cause it’s so much easier to rap about females, getting pussy, banging sets and shooting niggas. Let’s be real for a second besides Gucci Mane and T.I, when is the last time you heard about a rapper actually doing some of the shit they rhyming about, besides getting high and twisted? They’re not gonna take the risk of losing the chance to be making millions, so if you ain’t even living that life why spit about it and paint a picture for kids to view?

By: DaRealSteven

03.27.2013 @ 10:06 PM

The wackness and dullness of recent “rap” is not just about violence. This new bullshit doesnt seem to be about Art Imitating Life. Fake rappers seem to be throwin out corny cliche bullshit negative messages and “rap” music. The pop rap bullshit dont sound like its trying to really express thru and craft music. From what I’ve heard 50 Cent music sound different than Chief Keefs. 50 Cent wasn’t just throwin out a bunch of negative stuff you hear all the time. He expressed his life and experience. I aint heard much of Chief Keef but that dont like song, but it isnt sounding like no 50 Cent. Sounds like folks bullshittin.

By: zimbabwe africa

04.06.2013 @ 1:55 AM

it will be stupid to deny that violent music be it rap or rock have an influence somehow in our lives.
had u grown up without seeing rambo kill an entire army, bruce lee break bones in a swift move, rappers scream “ll kill yo hol damn crew”…had u grown up without thoz do u believe youl react to death the same way…we not sayin violent music makes a person violent. noooo! it makes it socialy possible. lm not scared to pick up ma Uzzi (A.K, 9 mm all names l know from rap music by the way) n spray at anyone that disrespects my people because is possible. Had N.W.A influenced you to shove a banana in your enemies face and pee on them…well do the math